Fate or Destiny

Chapter 8 - Shared Stories

 I'm putting this warning that abuse is mentioned a bit. 

As they made their way back to the house, the sun cast long shadows across the quiet suburban street. As they made it to the house, her wide eyes darted towards the boy beside her, a mix of gratitude and concern painted across her face. Her voice trembled as she began to speak. "My mum! She must be so worried I-" Before Scarlett could finish her sentence, the boy interrupted, his voice calm and reassuring. "Relax! I texted her from your phone saying you were at a friend's place." he replied, his words cutting through her anxiety like a lifeline. His hand reached out to gently squeeze her shoulder, providing a reassuring touch that spoke volumes without the need for more words. Together, they continued toward his bedroom. Scarlett couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of relief and gratitude for the boy's quick thinking.  "Oh..." "Yeah." he continued, his voice tinged with assurance. "So you should shower and I'll go grab your clothes from my sister." "Thanks." she replied, gratitude evident in her tone. As he turned to leave, she called out to him, her voice tinged with uncertainty, fingers fidgeting with a nervous energy. "Greyson?" He paused, turning back to face her, his brows slightly raised in question. "Yeah?" "Is what Linda said about Allison true?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of doubt, fiddling with her fingers. "That she's mean to people and manipulates them to get what she wants?" 

He scoffed, a faint hint of incredulity in his response, dismissing Linda's claims with a shake of his head. "Are you seriously believing Linda? If anything Linda is all those things. Allison is the sweetest girl, alright. She cares about the people she loves. " "Oh okay." she whispered slightly relieved. Her shoulders relaxed slightly as she absorbed his defense of Allison, her earlier doubt replaced by a sense of reassurance. "Little word of advice, don't trust Linda, she can be a lot to handle." "Noted." She nodded in acknowledgment, taking his advice to heart. "I was just asking because I don't wanna go down that road again." "What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow, curiosity evident in his expression as he probed for more information. "Um... nothing?" she responded, her words trailing off with a hint of evasion.  

Greyson couldn't quite explain the surge of protective emotion that compelled him, but he found himself grabbing her arm gently but insistently, leading her towards the edge of the bed where they both sat down. It was as if an invisible force urged him to be there for her. "Talk to me." "Well..." she began, her words carrying the weight of long-held secrets. "...I used to date this guy, Brandon." Greyson's jaw tensed slightly at the mention of another guy, but he held his composure, letting her continue.

"We dated for about 8 months. Everything was perfect until one day." Her voice quivered, and she paused to clear her throat, as if the memory itself was still a painful lump in her throat. "One day, I was hanging out with Samantha, my former best friend and another girl, Cassidy, and Sam's boyfriend. We were having a picnic, but Brandon said he couldn't come. He said something about soccer practice. When we had to split, I hugged them and left. That day, I had to meet him at his house, as usual." she recounted, her eyes distant as if transported back to that moment. "He was acting strange, so I asked him why he was acting that way. Apparently, he was there, and he lied to me about having soccer practice and got really jealous that I hugged another guy. I tried explaining he had a girlfriend, but instead he got really mad." As she shared her vulnerability, Greyson's grip on her hand tightened, a silent assurance that he was there to support her. Her voice grew firmer, fueled by the strength she drew from his presence. "It's safe to say he was possessive of me." she continued, the words laced with the weight of her past experiences. "I couldn't do anything with other guys, but he could do anything with other girls." Greyson's eyes were filled with concern and curiosity as he softly asked, "What do you mean?"